Acupuncture is one or of the oldest methods of treating disease having been used by the Chinese for over 4000 years. Without going into the philosophy behind it, the traditional Chinese method (TCM) is based on stimulating specific points on the body known as acupuncture points by penetrating the skin with thin sharp needles and manipulating the needles. The acupuncture points are located on paths called meridians through which energy flows throughout the body. Also a long standing aspect of TCM is a therapy called moxibustion, which involves burning a herb either directly on the patient's skin at an acupuncture point or in association with a needle.
Over the millennia that have passed since the origins of the practice of acupuncture new systems have evolved that use acupuncture points and meridians not recognized in the traditional Chinese method (TCM). Additionally new methods of applying the therapy that are non-invasive and do not require the use of needles have been devised. These methods include, for example, electric acupuncture, acupressure, and laser acupuncture.
Soft Lasers—low-intensity non-thermal laser irradiation treatments are used to stimulate traditional acupuncture points instead of needles; in other cases they are used to stimulate the traditional acupuncture points by applying the technique of moxibustion. Many different apparatuses have been described in the patent and non-patent literature for use in laser acupuncture. Some examples are:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,160 describes a hand held device that comprises an electrode used to locate acupuncture points by measuring skin resistance and a 3 mw diode laser that emits light with a wavelength of 635-670 nm.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,179,278 describes an apparatus in which one or more remote laser sources that emit light at 350-980 nm are optically linked by fiber optics to a handpiece that is in contact with the skin of the patient. The handpiece comprises two electrodes to measure skin resistance. The penetration depth is adjusted by changing the wavelength and also by reducing the diameter of the optical fiber as it approaches the tip of the handpiece.
US 2007/0129713 describes a laser needle for performing combined laser therapy and electric therapy. The output beam from a remote diode laser is conducted to the patient by an optical fiber. At its distal end the optical fiber is surrounded by a metal jacket having a disk attached to its lower end. The disk serves to distribute the electric current of the electric acupuncture over a larger area and also to aid in attaching the laser needle to the body of the patient.
CN102716553 is an example of a publication that describes an apparatus comprising two lasers that provides the combined effects of needle and moxibustion. The first laser is a red laser (635 nm) to simulate the effect of the needles and the second laser produces an output in the range of 1250-10000 nm to simulate the effect of thermal moxibustion.
Although there are innumerable reports of successful treatment of essentially every known condition relating to the physical and mental health of humans and animals, a considerable amount of controversy surrounding the efficacy of the method exists. This is in a large part due to the difficulty of devising and carrying out controlled clinical studies.
Are Thoresen, one of the inventors (henceforth “the first inventor”) of the present invention, has been actively practicing acupuncture therapy since 1977. He has treated more than 600 patients—animals and humans—with various kinds of cancer, applying different methods. Some of the experience that he has accumulated over the years is summarized in a book that he has written in his native Norwegian. A 2nd English edition has been published (Are Simeon Thoresen DVM, “Holistic Veterinary Medicine”, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, North Charleston, S.C., USA).
It is a purpose of the present invention to build on the first inventor's experience and his previous success by providing a system and method that is based upon the use of acupuncture points that have not previously been reported for prevention, and treatment of cancer in animals.
Further purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.